To Helheim and Back
by sunstarunicorn
Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets separated from his family and thrown into the events of TR: Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice mean.
1. Chapter 1: The Dark Unicorn

To Helheim and Back

Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love is.

A/N: I hated that Alister got killed in Underworld, and I haven't even played the whole game yet. So I started playing with the idea of someone who could come in and help Lara in her darkest hour. So: Moonstar is mine, all mine, but nothing else is. This is a crossover between Tomb Raider and Chronicles of Narnia, but the Narnia part is rather small.

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><p>Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn<p>

The black unicorn whickered as he frisked with the other yearlings. The snorts and laughter seemed to bubble up around the young stallions. Flisk tapped Moonstar with his horn and darted away with a yell of, "Tag your it!" Moonstar charged after his friend, hooves flashing, but the roan was far too agile for the midnight stallion. Abruptly, Moonstar changed direction and flew at Toby, a chestnut with more hair than wit. Toby squealed and ran, but Moonstar glided past with a tap of his horn on the other's flank.

"Boys!"

The young stallions turned and whinnied at the sight of the mares. Playtime was over. The yearlings separated and trotted back to their dams. Moonstar whickered a greeting as Snowfall, his dam, nudged him into his place by her side.

"How have you been, my little Star?" Snowfall asked.

"Mom…." Moonstar whined. Snowfall snorted and nipped him. Moonstar danced to the side, then sighed, "That's such a baby name."

"You were born under Aslan's star little one," Snowfall replied as Moonstar rolled his eyes. "Coat already as dark as the new moon," the mare continued, ignoring her foal's response. "One day my little Star, you'll do great deeds."

"But Mom, Narnia isn't at war or anything," the colt pointed out.

Snowfall whinnied. "Moonstar, don't ever forget that love is the greatest of all."

"Yeah, yeah, greater love and all that."

Snowfall slapped her son's shoulder with her horn. "One day little Star, you will see."

The midnight unicorn picked up the pace. "Race you home Ma!"

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><p>Moonstar ducked into the woods, running with all his might. The Calormenes had seen him and the dark unicorn remembered vividly what had happened when his herd had refused to work for the invaders. The older herd members had held off the soldiers while the mares and yearlings fled. More than a month later, Moonstar was the only one who had evaded capture. The last he had seen of his dam, Snowfall, was her being beaten by a Calormene overseerer.<p>

The dark unicorn plunged into the river, praying that it would hide his scent long enough for him to get away. The baying and howling of the hunting hounds fueled the stallion's desperate flight. The last time hounds had caught up with him had nearly been his end as one hound bit his ankle. Flisk had kicked the offending hound away but in his haste had missed the cruel trap. Ropes had sprung up, seemingly from the ground itself and bound the roan. The older unicorn had yelled to Moonstar to keep going and find help. Moonstar blinked away the tears and kept running. Miles fell away as the unicorn galloped.

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><p>The unicorn slid to a halt, exhausted. His neck hung low and his breath steamed the air as his flanks heaved. He had galloped all day to outrun his would-be captors. Slowly, the unicorn's breathing eased and at length, he looked around. The trees rustled quietly as the unicorn paced forward, searching for a pond or a stream to quench his thirst. After several minutes, he found an ancient beaver's dam. Gratefully, Moonstar lowered his head and drank.<p>

When his thirst was quenched, he looked around and spotted a path through the trees. Curious, the unicorn ambled toward it. He passed an old home, long abandoned with the remnants of a door hanging off a hinge. In the center of a clearing just beyond, he found a curious object. A metal tree stood upright, its one solitary arm holding some kind of box. The unicorn paced around the tree and reared up to examine the box. It was old and rusted, long past its prime. The unicorn's ears pricked up as a whisper seemed to snake through the clearing. Wind blew past, curling around and blowing the stallion's mane back. The box shifted and the rust flaked away, revealing fresh metal beneath. The unicorn yelped as he accidently reared higher and pressed his forelock against hot metal. Moonstar dropped to the ground and backed away, snorting in fear. After a moment, the burning sensation faded. The wind blew again, more insistently, tugging at the dark figure. Moonstar snorted again but moved toward the opening.

Baying brought the stallion around. A shout echoed through the woods. "The hounds, they have his scent." Howling sent chills through the hoofed listener. Without any further pauses, Moonstar plunged through the clearing, galloping up the short incline into the evergreens beyond. Had he been slower, he would have seen the portal yawning open before him. Had he looked around, he would have seen the sealed doors of a wardrobe. And had he known more of Narnia's history, he would have known that the mysterious tree was the famous Lamppost of the Western Woods. But Moonstar neither knew or saw any of these things. He plunged straight into the portal and felt his hooves go out from under him. He hit the ground and squealed in pure terror. The squeal echoed around him and it took the unicorn several seconds to realize that the howling had cut off and the trees had vanished. He was lying on a broad field of perfectly cut grass and staring at a massive stone building that stood right where the clearing had been.

Most of all, the midnight unicorn was staring straight at a human woman, with long brunette hair, rather revealing clothing, and curious metal things strapped to her legs. And she was staring back, utterly bewildered at the huge black stallion that had fallen out of thin air onto her lawn.

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><p>AN: And so the adventure begins! Note for Narnia fans: Moonstar comes from an unspecified time in Narnian history, however, he most certainly comes from Narnia's tail end, as the Calormenes take over Narnia in _The Last Battle_. It seems perfectly reasonable to assume that not all animals simply kowtowed to their ancient enemies. Also Moonstar's herd seems to have missed Shift's little deception with poor Puzzle. For you Tomb Raider fans: The majority of my story takes place in Lara's world, so patience young grasshoppers. Please, please read and review.


	2. Chapter 2: Tomb Raider and the Unicorn

To Helheim and Back

Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice is.

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><p>Chapter Two: The Tomb Raider and the Unicorn<p>

What is the use of wizardry if it cannot save a unicorn? (_The Last Unicorn_)

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><p>Lara Croft, famed archeologist and tomb raider, had been taking a perfectly nice walk around her mansion, letting off steam and giving her faithful employees time to work on their latest assignment.<p>

Ever since she and Amanda had faced off in Bolivia, Lara had been hard at work searching for another entry into Avalon. Lara was certain that Alister and Zip would come up with a lead soon, but her tension and nervous energy had driven her outside. Her nice evening, relatively speaking, had been interrupted when a crack heralded the arrival of a flying, well actually falling, horse. The big, black creature had landed with a very audible thud on the ground in front of her and proceeded to shatter her hearing with a loud, piercing squeal that simply reeked of fear. There was a long pause and then the horse's surprisingly intelligent eye flicked to her. Horse and woman stared at each other as the seconds ticked by.

The moment was broken as the front door of the mansion slammed open, Alister and Zip running through the door with whatever they had been able to grab in their run for the door. Zip was armed with a broom he had found somewhere (tripped over) and Alister had managed to grab the gun Lara had hidden in the hallway that led to the library. The two men's abrupt appearance galvanized their equine guest into action. The black heaved himself up and ran, but didn't get far. He stumbled and fell hard, landing on an obviously injured shoulder. The squeal, while not as loud as the one before, rang across the grounds and brought both of Lara's startled employees to a halt.

Lara waved both men back as the frightened animal managed to right himself and turn, eyes rolling in fear and pain. Lara's eyes narrowed as she examined the black animal. One ankle was stained with red and still oozing a bit. There was a burn right in the middle of the animal's forehead in the shape of a crescent moon. Nicks, scratches, and bumps littered the black's body. Heaving flanks told Lara the frightened animal had run for a very long time with little rest. "Easy boy," Lara murmured, edging closer. "No one's going to hurt you here."

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><p>Moonstar snorted, hobbling back away from the human female. That was what they all said, but it was nothing more than a lie, a ruse to get close. His gaze flicked to the two men, one dark, the other light, like <em>her<em>. The dark one's coat, what the stallion could see of it, looked like the Calormenes. No way he would trust any human who looked like a Calormene. His eyes returned to the female and he edged back again, ignoring the pain that came from moving. He no longer had the strength to rear or he would have.

"Lara," the light furred male called.

"I'm fine Alister," the female called back without looking away from the dark unicorn.

"Be careful," the dark one put in. "He could kick at you."

"Now Zip, does he look like the vicious type?" 'Lara' asked, her voice rising and falling like Snowfall's would have. _Mother_. Moonstar snorted and backed up again, only to feel his hindquarters bang into something. Alarmed, he twisted, forgetting his shoulder. A short squeal marked the shoulder's response to the unwise movement and the stallion stumbled again and went down on his good leg. The female was suddenly at his head, cooing and stroking his head.

"Easy, boy, looks like someone has done a number on you." The female clucked disapprovingly. "Zip, Alister," she called, looking over her shoulder. "Come meet our guest." Moonstar's ears went back but the female patted them forward again. "Don't worry, they wouldn't hurt a fine boy like you."

Still the stallion snorted nervously as the two men approached. With the female at his head and the two men doing their best to brace him, the stallion managed to get to his feet. Of course, as soon as the black was up, he nipped at the dark-furred male. His teeth clicked together as his target scrambled out of range.

"Easy boy," the female said, shifting so that she was between the dark stallion and the now rather nervous man. "Zip won't hurt you."

"I won't hurt him?" 'Zip' asked incredulously. "What about him hurting me Lara?"

'Lara' turned toward 'Zip'. "He's nervous, scared, and hurt. Wouldn't you lash out too?" She didn't wait for the annoyed male to respond before adding, "Please go get Winston and ask him to bring a halter and a lead rope."

'Zip' nodded and headed back to the massive building. Moonstar fidgeted and the light furred male moved back, eyes cautious.

"Lara?"

"Yes Alister?"

"Where did he come from?"

Moonstar snorted, eying the male. His was of average height, at least average in the stallion's limited experience with humans, had brown hair and a curious metal something around his eyes. The stallion opened his muzzle to ask about the metal thing but all that came out was a whinny. Newly alarmed, Moonstar gave a startled snort and tried to rear.

"Whoa boy!" 'Lara' cried, backing up. 'Alister' practically fled behind her as Moonstar came back down, whinnying in distress. The dark unicorn managed to avoid landing on his injured leg but the brief jolt of pain was enough to keep him on the ground. The female moved back to his head and began stroking his mane, trying to calm the unicorn down.

"I'm not sure Alister. Once we get our guest to the stables, I'll have Zip check the mansion's security cameras while I call a vet."

'Alister' nodded as 'Zip' and another man, an elder by the look of him came out of the 'mansion'. The older man carried a rope and another curious rope thing. As the pair got closer, Moonstar laid back his ears.

"Zip, stay back a bit. We'll have to figure something out with his dislike of you later."

'Zip' nodded and hung back as the elder came up to 'Lara' and gave her the two rope objects. "Are you certain you can handle a horse this big Miss Lara?"

"Quite certain Winston. Besides, I'm the only one here with any equine experience at all." Having said that, 'Lara' stepped forward and lifted one of the ropes. Moonstar whinnied in alarm, but there was nowhere to go. He could, and did, toss his head as high as he could but the female persisted and eventually the rope was in place. It banged against the unicorn's horn and the stallion lowered his head and slapped it against his good leg in a futile effort to remove it.

"You sure Lara?" 'Zip' called. "He acts likes he's never had a halter on."

"Yes he does," 'Lara' agreed. "Curious. Winston, Alister. Since our friend here doesn't like Zip for some reason, we'll have to get him to the stable ourselves. Zip, you can stay if you want, but when we get this horse to the stables, please go pull the video from the mansion's outside feeds. I'd like to figure out just how our guest got here."

Getting to the 'stable' was a challenge all in its own. Moonstar tuned out the human's talking as he focused on putting one hoof in front of the other. 'Lara' and 'Alister' whispered encouragement as 'Zip', who Moonstar had nipped at, stood back with 'Winston' and asked questions, one right after the other. As long as the dark-skinned man stayed back, Moonstar tolerated him and the agonizing journey continued. At long last, the dark unicorn was in his 'stall' and 'Lara' used a curious long cloth to wrap up his injured leg and shoulder. She even cleaned all of the bumps and bruises he had gotten during his flight into the unknown. Once she was done, she and her men left, leaving the weary stallion to a curious dinner of oats and hay. Once Moonstar had eaten his fill, he hobbled to the window and looked out at the night sky wondering what in Narnia he had gotten himself into.

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><p>AN: Aww, poor Moonstar. Okay, for those of you wondering why Moonstar does not like Zip: Zip is African American, as we all know from Legend and Underworld, and the Calormenes, whom Moonstar has just seen enslave everyone he holds dear and hunted him for the better part of a month are dark skinned. Naturally Moonstar is suspicious. Also…Moonstar may not realize just what has happened…after all, he's been rather sheltered his whole life. I noticed a distinct lack of interest in this story, so any reviews will be much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3: Care of Stubborn Unicorns

To Helheim and Back

Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice is.

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><p>Chapter Three: On the Care of Stubborn Unicorns<p>

A/N: If anyone who actually reads this story is wondering why Lara and Co keep calling Moonstar a horse, it's because they cannot see his horn. To see his horn, they must believe that unicorns are real (idea borrowed from _The Last Unicorn_).

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><p>If you had been waiting to see a unicorn, as long as I have... (<em>The Last Unicorn<em>)

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><p>Moonstar woke to the sound of voices. Half asleep, he swung his head and called a greeting. The sound of a whinny when there should have been words surprised the stallion and he jerked fully awake. For a moment, he stared at the wooden boards and the gate, alarmed, but then memory flooded back. Discouraged, the dark unicorn hung his head, horn scraping against the ground.<p>

"…for coming so quickly doctor," a familiar, female voice was saying. "I wasn't quite sure who to call for this; it's been years since we've had any horses at the manor."

"Not at all my dear. Hopefully we'll have the poor fellow sorted out in no time."

Moonstar lifted his head as the outer door to the building opened. First the female, _Lara_, came into sight, followed by a man. A dark-furred man. Alarmed, Moonstar squealed, backing away from the door until his hindquarters had banged into the wall behind him. The stallion pressed himself against the wall, eyes rolling in terror. The Calormenes had come for him, he just knew it.

"Whoa, boy," Lara called, but the midnight unicorn was having no part of calming down. His squeals grew more alarmed as the Calormene actually entered the stall. Desperate, the stallion snaked his neck out and bit at the man. He missed as the other scrambled out of range. Then Lara was in his stall. He half reared, but as the Calormene quickly backed up, he allowed the female to sooth him.

Lara half-turned, her face pale and her voice breathless. "I'm sorry. I honestly thought he'd just taken a dislike to Zip yesterday. It never occurred to me that he was afraid of African Americans."

The Calormene nodded. "I cannot treat him if he's afraid of me Miss Croft. You did mention his reaction to your employee over the phone. I was at a loss for why until now. I believe your new horse has had a bad experience with darker toned individuals. Most animals, after all, have some reason for their behavior."

Lara frowned and exited the stall. "Is there anything I can do to 'treat' this problem Doctor? There may come a time when I will need Zip to at least lead him out of the stable."

"You could try getting your horse acclimated to your employee in steps, slow steps mind you. Now I do have a colleague who will be able to treat your stallion…"

Moonstar cocked his head as they walked away. His breathing evened out as he stamped a hoof. She hadn't let the Calormene take him. But…what was that about 'leading him out of the stable'?

_Perhaps the building I'm in is this 'stable'. But…why would I need to be 'lead' out?_ Careful to avoid banging his injured shoulder, the stallion pushed against the door. Surprised at the lack of give, he tilted his head and inspected the lock on the outside. _Is that…a lever? I remember Mother telling me about the time she saw the stables at Cair Paravel. Oh! They don't know…they don't know I'm a Talking Unicorn._ A derisive snort. _What kind of fool doesn't know a Talking Animal when they see one?_ The unicorn paced back to his safe spot. _Idiot humans._

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><p>Alister sighed in relief as he slipped into the old stable. Sometimes, when Zip's music just got too loud to handle, he would grab a book and sneak off. Usually he just found a spot on the grounds and read by torchlight but tonight he'd decided to try the stable. He tried to tell himself that the stable was better lit, but he knew it was because of the midnight stallion. Still nameless, although Zip had been busy coming up with some rather outrageous names. Alister shook his head and flicked on the lights. A snort came from the horse's stall and a moment later, the black stuck his head out.<p>

"Good evening," Alister said softly, trying not to scare or provoke the so-far unpredictable animal. He received a soft whicker in reply and smiled at that. A moment of hunting around produced a chair that looked study enough. He settled into the chair and pulled his book up to read. An old favorite of his, Alister had picked it up again after discovering that the 'myth' of King Arthur was actually true. A whinny made the historian look up.

"Something the matter?"

A huff of air and the stallion craned his neck down, tilting his head as if trying to see the book's pages. Rather ridiculous. Alister returned to his book.

An indignant whinny and a stamp of the hoof brought Alister's head up again. For a moment he stared at the horse as the animal bobbed his head at the book.

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><p>Moonstar couldn't help but feel smug at the expression on the man's face. <em>See. Ignore me, will you.<em> His gaze returned to the book in the brown-haired man's hand. _If you're going to read that book in here, I want to read it too!_ He was, after all, rather bored with the stable by this point. There was only so long he could stare at the wall, or look out at the stars. Brown eyes flicked to the man and narrowed. Moonstar backed up a step, then deliberately slammed his chest into the door, making sure it would clang loudly enough to attract the human's attention.

Exasperated blue eyes looked up. "I'm trying to read here, you know."

A plaintive whinny, followed by a longing look was about all the unicorn could do to communicate his desire. The man, _Alister_, Moonstar suddenly remembered, looked between the unicorn and the book, a quizzical look on his face.

"Do…do you want me to read aloud?"

Moonstar bobbed his head and snorted hopefully.

For several seconds Alister looked between his book and the horse, then finally sighed and accepted the inevitable. As soon as he started reading, the stallion was still and silent, not interrupting the tale even once.

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><p>Alister finished up the latest paragraph and paused to check his watch. <em>Time and past to get to bed<em>. A snort made him look up. "No more tonight boy. I'm exhausted."

The whicker sounded like a sigh.

Still cautious, Alister inched up to the horse's nose and stretched a hand out, ready to yank it back. The stallion watched him, just as cautious. With his fingers just touching the black's soft, velvety nose, Alister froze. After a second, the black nudged the human's hand. Stallion and man stood for a moment, eying each other, still wary but not nearly as much as before. Alister pulled his hand back and allowed a small smile. With the starlight falling from a window behind him onto the black's face, the crescent moon scar seemed to glow a bit.

Impulsively, Alister said, very softly, "Good night Moonstar." He missed the startled snort as he flicked out the lights and walked out of the stable, leaving a stunned unicorn looking after him.

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><p>AN: Yay, Moonstar fluff. Will our errant Narnian ever get used to Zip? Will Lara's next vet be able to get close? Will anyone actually read this chapter? *sighs at last question* If anyone would care to review…thus far, how well rounded is Moonstar? Or is it simply too early to tell?


	4. Chapter 4: The Realization

To Helheim and Back

Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice is.

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><p>Chapter Four: The Realization<p>

I have forgotten that men cannot see Unicorns. If men no longer know what they're looking at, there may be other unicorns in the world yet, unknown, and glad of it. (_The Last Unicorn_)

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><p>Alister smiled to himself as he flicked on the stable lights. It was rather nice to, at the end of a long day, slip away with a good book and read to Moonstar. Zip had laughed at the name but Lara (and Winston) had liked it and Moonstar had refused to answer to anything else so the name had stuck. Tonight the librarian had brought a different book with him. He'd actually debated the merits of several books as the end of his King Arthur book approached and finally settled on yet another childhood favorite.<p>

"Good evening Moonstar," the historian said as the black poked his head out, ears pricked with interest. "I'm afraid we've finished the last book so I brought a new one," Alister added, feeling a bit foolish.

The black head bobbed and Moonstar snorted his acknowledgement.

"Yes, well." Alister found his chair and settled into it. "_The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_ by C.S. Lewis."

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><p>Moonstar was actually a bit disappointed that the King Arthur book was actually over. Romance, battle, politics, the high drama of Camelot. It all seemed so much more exciting than Narnia. And the idea that it was all true! Ah that had been interesting, to hear about the female…<em>Lara<em>…he reminded himself, and her adventures. The unicorn settled, listening to the young children prattle on and play hide and seek. _Four…nah…just a coincidence_. Little Lucy's venture into the wardrobe and her meeting with the Faun Tumnus.

_Could it possibly be?_ Moonstar had to restrain his snort of surprise. The White Witch, the betrayal, the beavers, even Father Christmas! _It's all there, the four kings and queens of Narnia!_ Listening to the death of Aslan was wretched. He whinnied plaintively in distress.

"Easy there boy," Alister soothed without really paying attention. The death of Aslan was his least favorite part too. That so noble a character could be slain was simply awful.

Moonstar tossed his head high at the news that Aslan was alive in the very next chapter. The playfulness, the run to the Witch's castle, the battle at Beruna, it was all there. _Mother used to tell me this story, but not like this! King Arthur? Pah, nothing to Aslan and the four Kings and Queens._ The ending came far too abruptly. One minute the Kings and Queens were in Narnia, hunting the stag and the next, gone, vanished without a trace.

Alister finished the last lines of the book and looked up at his attentive listener. "Liked it, eh boy? I've always liked it too. An excellent fantasy series."

_Fantasy?_

"Well I'd best be off to bed. I rather wish Lara would just let this whole Avalon mess go. Something tells me she won't like where it leads."

Moonstar gaped at the man, not even really hearing the last few words. _Fantasy! He thinks it's just a story! How is that possible, every Narnian knows the story of the Four and the fall of the White Witch._

The unicorn paced, well hobbled, back and forth in his stall. _It doesn't make any sense unless I've somehow slipped into another world. But isn't that exactly what the Four did? Slipped from their world into Narnia? And the Lamppost, it has to be the one I saw. It was near the portal, near the wardrobe._

Pacing halted as the unicorn froze, looking up at the stars. _So different, so unfamiliar. It makes sense. Lion's mane. I've fallen into another world. How could I not have seen it?_

Sleep did not come easily for the young unicorn that night.

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><p>Lara allowed a smile as she led the new vet to the stable. It had taken the other woman a few days to finish up other home visits but now she was here and hopefully Moonstar would soon be on the way to recovery. Lara knew Alister had taken to sneaking off with a book to visit the stallion whenever Zip's music started getting too loud. She truly didn't mind, since the visits seemed to be keeping both Alister and Moonstar happy. Zip had gotten annoyed the night before that he couldn't find his friend but Lara had told him that if perchance, he would turn his music down a few times, perhaps Alister wouldn't run off the stables quite so often. That had silenced the tech.<p>

"He's right in here Doctor," Lara said, opening the door.

"I see, thank you Miss Croft, oh my," the woman finished as she got her first look. "He's quite the large one, isn't he?"

"Yes, and so far fairly well behaved as long as Zip stays away."

"Yes, Dr. Conners mentioned that to me. You do realize that he may never accept your employee?"

"I do, but I certainly hope Moonstar does accept Zip at some point. There may come a time when Alister, Winston, and I will be unavailable for some reason."

The vet's smile was sympathetic. "Well let's see what we have here."

Moonstar held still throughout most of the examination, only moving when the vet touched a sore area. Her touch was light though, so for the most part, the stallion held still. He did watch her, curious about the mutterings and the tools she was using, but he knew any questions would come out as whinnies. _Another clue I missed,_ the stallion thought rather sourly.

"Well Lady Croft, for the most part your new stallion is in excellent health. I see you've wrapped his shoulder and put a poultice on his ankle and that's frankly about all we can do. You've got him on an excellent mix of oats, hay, and mash. I see no reason to change it now. His hooves are a bit packed with dirt but he can live with that until his shoulder heals. I am surprised that he doesn't have any horseshoes but his hooves are actually hard enough that he doesn't need them at this point. I wish even half of my charges were as well off as your Moonstar seems to be."

"What about the scarring? And the lack of halter training?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to live with the scars Miss Croft. Even today, there is very little we can do about scars once an animal has them. As for his training, you will have to wait for his shoulder to heal. Once it does heal, I would suggest walking him around the grounds with a halter and lead rope. Don't force it, but don't let him dictate terms either."

Moonstar tuned out the rest of the chatter, uninterested now that the women were out of his stall. His shoulder would heal, that was really all that mattered to him now. _It's not like I have anywhere else to go now._ The black's head sank to the ground. _Mother. I miss you._

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><p>AN: Yes I'm a horse lover, but do not quote me on anything the vet said. I don't think it's total gibberish but it certainly could be. Well, now that Moonstar is well on his way to healing, will the story pick up? Not quite yet. Still the Zip vs. Moonstar round two to get to first.


	5. Chapter 5: Round Two

To Helheim and Back

Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice is.

Chapter Five: Round Two

A quest may not simply be abandoned; unicorns may go unrescued for a long time, but not forever. A happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story. (_The Last Unicorn_)

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><p>"This is a bad idea."<p>

"So you have said," came the amused reply.

Moonstar pricked his ears at the male voices. One was certainly his friend Alister, the other was familiar but he couldn't quite place it.

"Zip. You are going to do this even if I have to threaten you."

_Oh wonderful. The Calormene. What's HE doing here?_

"But Lara," Zip whined, his voice coming closer, "He doesn't like me. Every time I get close he tries to bite me!"

_And I'll do it again. Just watch me._

A heavy sigh. "And what if the stable catches on fire while Lara is out tomb-raiding and I'm off trying to get my dissertation accepted?"

"And don't say 'Call Winston'," Lara added. "Winston wouldn't be able to get Moonstar out of a fire."

"Um…use a lasso?"

Moonstar snorted with laughter. _Good luck with that one!_ But the black stallion couldn't help wondering about that scenario. What if there was a fire? He actually could get out of his stall of course. But if Lara _and_ Alister were away…who would feed him, who would take him out to get exercise? The unicorn whinnied unhappily. _If not Zip, then the elder would have to. Mother would skin me alive for forcing an elder to wait on me when there was someone else who could do it, but I chased away._ Moonstar paced, ignoring Zip's pleading with his boss and coworker. _She would be so ashamed. The greatest of these is love and all that rot. Love didn't save her. Didn't save me either, my hooves did that._ The angry unicorn reared up, squealing in his frustration.

"No WAY I'm getting close to him when he's mad!" Zip yelped.

The door to the stable swung open and Lara rushed in. "Moonstar!"

Moonstar ignored her, rearing up higher and slamming both front hooves on the ground. A faint jolt of pain stung his shoulder but he dismissed it. _Why? Why her? She never did anything to hurt anyone! _He rammed his horn into open air, his chest thumping against the board below his window. _Why, Aslan. Why did you take her away from me!_ A furious, futile squeal as the young unicorn called for his long-lost mother.

Anger spent, his head dropped. His stall door clicked open, but he didn't even turn. "Moonstar?" He huffed briefly. A light touch on his shoulder told him where Lara was. "Easy boy. Come meet Zip again."

With that, Lara carefully worked a halter onto the black, clipped a lead rope on and led him out of the stall. Moonstar felt a flicker of amusement as his hooves touched grass. Zip was hiding behind an extremely annoyed Alister.

"Zip."

Zip cringed. "Please Lara, anything but this."

Moonstar tilted his head and eyed the dark-furred man. _He's afraid of me? _ A very large part of the unicorn was pleased. But a nagging whisper that sounded like his mother whispered that he was wrong to torment this man. Moonstar huffed and Zip edged back behind Alister. Lara sighed.

"Zip, please. You need to be able to handle Moonstar."

"But he bites! And he's really, really big."

"Here," Alister shoved an apple into his friend's hand. "Never heard of a horse that doesn't like apples."

_Apple?_ Moonstar's ears pricked. The second time Alister had visited him with the King Arthur book he'd brought an apple. _Apple?_ Moonstar reached his neck forward, whinnying hopefully.

Alister pushed an extremely nervous Zip forward. "Hold your hand flat and he won't even touch you," the historian instructed.

"Um, hi," Zip managed as he looked at the big, very close stallion. "Please don't bite me." Lara and Alister rolled their eyes. Zip edged the hand with the apple forward. "Um, want a treat boy?"

_Apple!_ Moonstar whickered, his muzzle already questing for the sweet, delicious, crunchy apple. He was careful not to bite the nervous man's fingers, Snowfall's teaching winning out over his _dislike_ of Calormenes. The apple crunched perfectly and Moonstar snorted in approval.

"Okay he took it…now can I go?"

"No," both Lara and Alister said at the same time.

"Come on guys," Zip begged. "Any minute he's gonna bite me."

Moonstar's head came up and he examined Zip. _He's afraid. Like me when the hounds were after me._ Guilt crept in. _I was so afraid. I knew they'd be on me, that they'd rip me to shreds. I didn't want to be that! Even Lara and Alister were afraid at first, weren't they?_ The black head dropped a bit. _Great job Moonstar. Way to make a great first impression._ That he had been injured and terrified too was conveniently overlooked. After a moment, Moonstar decided to try the same thing he had with Alister.

Very carefully, he stretched out his neck, muzzle reaching toward Zip's still slightly outstretched hand.

Zip froze. Alister frowned as if he'd seen it before.

"Wait," Alister whispered, as if to himself. The historian grinned a moment and, uncharacteristically, grabbed Zip's hand and brought it up to just above Moonstar's muzzle.

"Al…" Zip protested, but then Moonstar nudged his hand and left his muzzle there.

"He's not going to bite you," Alister said with a wide grin.

"You sure?" Zip asked weakly.

"Positive."

Moonstar nudged the other's hand a bit more. Alister's grin widened. "In fact," the historian continued, "I do believe he wants you to pet him."

Zip stared wide-eyed at his best friend, with a _you have _got_ to be kidding me_ look on his face.

Lara smirked and handed her still stunned employee the lead rope. "Take him back in when you're done Zip."

Then the two walked off, casting grins at each other.

"Heh, heh, you're not serious." Zip's eyes went even wider as the two continued back toward the manor. "Lara? Alister? Where the heck are you going?"

Moonstar whickered in amusement.

* * *

><p>AN: *snickers* Well the stage is set! All our characters now get along…well sort of. Next up, our brave and valiant unicorn will begin the real adventure.


	6. Chapter 6: True Meaning of Sacrifice

To Helheim and Back

Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice is.

Chapter Six: The True Meaning of Sacrifice

The last! I knew you were the last! (_The Last Unicorn_)

* * *

><p>Moonstar jerked awake. The clang of the gates had broken through a pleasant dream and the decidedly grumpy unicorn stomped to the window to voice his displeasure. The sight of a large black vehicle stopped him short. <em>Who's that?<em>

"Get inside, get into that safe and then blow it all sky high!" one woman was saying to her companion. Her companion looked like Lara alright, but her hair was red and her movements were all wrong. It was like looking at Lara's evil twin. _Wait. Blow it sky high? No!_

Moonstar reared and screamed with everything he had, praying that anyone in the manor would hear and understand. He came down hard and threw his head back, horn flashing in the dim light as he squealed long and loud.

"Someone go shut that horse up!" the white haired woman screeched. "And you, get going!" Lara's evil twin nodded and sprinted toward the manor.

_Oh no you don't!_ Moonstar trumpeted a challenge and charged his stall door, hitting it hard just beside the lock he had ever so carefully worked loose. The door burst open and the stallion galloped right through the goons that had just opened the stable door. The midnight stallion raced toward the manor, mane and tail flying back as he ran. Halfway there, an explosion roared and fire burst up around the mansion. Moonstar ignored that and kept running. Sharp cracks split the air. Moonstar slowed, searching frantically for an entrance.

The door thumped open and both Zip and Winston emerged, the former limping as blood trickled down his leg. Moonstar squealed in outrage and pushed himself back into a run. He darted around the startled humans and galloped into the inferno. The black unicorn shrilled a call, searching through the flames and smoke for Lara and Alister. Successive cracks brought him around and he leapt through the fire.

Just in time to see the evil twin raise her gun toward Alister. A shot rang out and Alister stumbled back and fell.

"NOOOO!" Lara screamed.

Moonstar reared up, screaming defiance, and charged the assassin. She slid to the side, her eyes cool and the tiny smile on her face infuriating.

"She's mine," Lara yelled, already aiming. "Go to Alister!"

Moonstar changed direction, practically flying to his friend's side. With a whinny of sorrow, he dropped his head down to Alister's level, his horn touching his friend's shoulder. _Don't leave,_ the dark unicorn begged, _Stay with us. Stay with me. I can't lose any one else._

"You're," Alister panted, eyes going wide, even as blood stained his suit. "You're a _unicorn_."

Lara raced to them, and slid down on her knees. "Alister hold on!"

"I feel bloody awful," Alister whispered, eyes closing in agony.

"Hold on!"

"I'll see you…see you…in Avalon."

Moonstar stared down at his silent and still friend. He was stunned. _No, please Aslan, no._

* * *

><p>Lara had gone to 'deal with the authorities'. Moonstar's head hung low, his horn still touching Alister's shoulder.<p>

"He saved us," Zip whispered. "Distracting her like that."

Winston nodded, his face grave. "A true friend."

_Flashback_

"_Greater love, my little Star."_

"_I know Mom."_

_A gentle snort. "Humor me then my dear."_

"_Alright."_

"_Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends."_

**(A/N: John 15:13, King James Version)**

_End Flashback_

_Is, is this what mother meant?_ Moonstar wondered, listening to the two men. His horn suddenly warmed. _What?_ The unicorn glanced down and snorted uneasily at the dark aura that had appeared around Alister's still form. He shifted his horn, so that it was firmly pressed against his friend's shoulder.

_Pain, fear. Someone, anyone, help!_ Moonstar snorted, nearly pulling back.

_Alister?_

_Who's there?_

_Alister, it's me, Moonstar._

_Help!_ His friend's voice was growing fainter.

_Alister, stay with me!_

_I can't._

_Yes you can,_ Moonstar fairly shouted back, sending his magic to Alister's fading presence.

_She's pulling me away._

_Who, who dares!_

_Natla, warn…Ava…Helheim…don't…trap._

_Alister!_ Moonstar resisted the urge to throw a tantrum worthy of Snowfall's nips. The unicorn's head came up, eyes widening. _He's not dead. Natla, whoever that is, has him. In Helheim, wherever that is. But what do I do now?_

"Lara, don't."

"She's going to pay Zip, just as soon as I get that hammer."

"But even if you're right, how do you know you can get into Helheim?"

"I'll find a way."

_Helheim? _It was risky, but Moonstar had failed his herd. He wasn't going to fail his friends. Decision crystallized. Moonstar trotted right up to Lara and lowered his horn to her shoulder, pushing his magic to her.

"Ouch."

"Lara."

"Just a sting, Zip. Static electricity probably." Lara reached up and patted Moonstar. "Moonstar I need to you to stay here. Watch out for Zip and Winston for me."

Moonstar whinnied. He waited for her to move off a bit before dropping his horn to the ground. Teeth grit as he focused. _There!_ Two pulses of Narnian magic sang at him. One from Lara, one from Alister.

_Now I wait._

* * *

><p>AN: As you can see, I've changed a few things around. I have not played Underworld all the way through, so I may have even inserted a few…inadvertent changes. I have changed a very specific thing though and hinted at it in this chapter. Kudos to those who figure it out before the next chapter. Things will be moving along rapidly from this point on and the retrieving Thor's Hammer part will completely skipped since this is Moonstar's point of view.


	7. Chapter 7: Once More into the Breach

To Helheim and Back

Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice is.

Chapter Seven: Once More into the Breach

Well I wish I didn't care! I wish to God I didn't care about anything but my magic! But I do! I do. (_The Last Unicorn_)

* * *

><p>Lara gripped Mjolnir as she advanced into Helheim. Just because Nalta had let her in didn't mean that Lara trusted the woman. A whoosh of air brought Lara around, weapon raised to strike.<p>

"Moonstar!" The midnight stallion looked rather pleased with himself as the portal he'd jumped through closed behind him.

"How…" Lara started, before seeing something. A horn. A twisting, spiraling horn on Moonstar's forehead. "You're a unicorn!"

A pleased snort.

"Can…can you talk?"

A pause, then a flood of whinnies and whickers, followed by a mournful head shake.

Lara frowned. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Moonstar pranced to her shoulder and gave a smug sounding whicker.

"You aren't telling."

Head bob.

Lara sighed. Well it wasn't like she could really leave him behind for the thralls. "Alright then, come on."

* * *

><p>Lara stopped short as she saw someone in the next chamber. A woman in a blue dress. "Mother?"<p>

A surprised huff from the unicorn behind her.

Lara walked forward, confused by her mother's silence. "Mother, it's me. It's Lara."

* * *

><p>Moonstar stilled as the scent of something long dead hit his muzzle. Lara was walking right toward a thrall. The thrall turned.<p>

"No," Lara whispered, drawing back. "No, no, no. My mother's dead."

Moonstar screamed and lunged past Lara, hooves flashing as he reared. He hit the thrall dead on, the force of his blow knocking it over the ledge. Breathing hard, the unicorn turned, suddenly afraid. Death was still present, mixed with Narnian magic.

Lara screamed. "Alister!"

Moonstar pivoted, seeing the thrall in an instant. Just enough of Alister's appearance remained to identify him. _No, no, no._

"_Now, my little Star."_

_Who said that?_

"_Strike true."_

Moonstar launched forward, head lowering as he charged. His horn caught the thrall right where its heart would have been. The unicorn's charge slammed the thrall into the wall, pinning it. Golden light engulfed them, blazing outward and bleaching the Eitr into a sickly gray.

"_It is done, my child."_

_Aslan?_

"_You will know what to do, little Star."_

Golden light faded. Moonstar drew back, letting the thrall fall. A sharp blow sent him spinning into the wall himself.

"You interfering miserable little unicorn!" a winged woman shrieked. She laughed. "But now you tread in MY realm little unicorn. The last of the unicorns. The last of Narnia."

Abruptly she turned away, stalking toward Lara, who had slid down on her knees, tears flowing freely.

"I've lived many times longer than your entire civilization and I've never seen such delicious irony. When I heard what happened to the wife of the great Richard Croft, I knew I could set him on desperate quest to find what I desired most. But then he betrayed me in Thailand and for that, I killed him myself. When you showed up with Thor's gauntlet, I knew I could send you off in your father's footsteps, confident that it would lead us to this very spot."

_Traitor,_ Moonstar shrilled in his mind, struggling to rise. Movement caught his eye. A hand reaching out, shaking, as it took hold of a battered, red and gold hilt with a lion's head atop it.

Lara pushed herself up, hatred glittering in her eyes. "You seem to have forgotten what I would be carrying." She gripped Mjolnir, drawing it out to strike at her foe. Her evil twin grabbed the hammer and thrust it away, forcing Lara to drop it. In seconds she had Lara in a vice grip.

Moonstar squealed in outrage, still trying to rise. Nalta laughed. "Patience little unicorn. I'll deal with you soon enough." She turned back to Lara. "When I made this creature for Amanda, she had no idea that my true purpose was to have the means to destroy you at this very moment. The two of you never suspected that you were mere actors in my play."

The immortal turned, laughing. Metal scrapped against the ground as a trembling figure pushed himself up. Nalta never noticed as she continued gloating. "And so it ends. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a serpent to raise." She smirked and walked away.

Lara stamped on her twin's instep and knocked her away. Pulling out her guns, Lara fired several shots as the other dodged. The thing leapt, knocking Lara down and pinning her with a hand to the throat. Lara struggled wildly and Moonstar squealed, scrambling to rise. The red-head smirked as she drew back a hand to finish Lara off.

A blade sprouted from the woman's chest and she let out a cry as the panting, furious man behind her finally managed to speak. "Stay. Away. From. Lara!"

The creature sent her attacker flying and the sword dislodged. Before either the man or Lara could move, black smoke grabbed the thing's hand, lifting it off the ground. Black, edged with red, flared as a white haired woman grimly raised both hands. She thrust both hands forward and the creature went flying over the edge.

"Amanda?" Lara started, but then the man in the corner groaned and tried to rise.

"Alister!" Lara flew to her friend's side, as 'Amanda' gaped.

"Wait, I thought the Doppelganger killed him."

Moonstar finally managed to get up again and offered an extremely smug snort. Oh he knew he hadn't really done it but he had a feeling they were running out of time.

Amanda eyed him. "Lara?"

"Yes?" Lara asked, as she hefted Alister up.

"Where'd you find a unicorn?"

Alister broke in. "It's a rather long story actually, and if Nalta is really raising the Midgard Serpent, we don't have time for that." He limped forward, Lara still supporting him and awkwardly reached down and retrieved the gold and red blade. "Lara you have to hurry."

"He's right," Amanda broke in. "Trust me, I wanted to let that thing finish you off, but the Midgard Serpent will tear the world apart. And only Thor's Hammer can stop it."

All four whipped around as massive thralls began to advance. Amanda smirked. "Go! I'll hold them off."

"Lara get me up on Moonstar," Alister ordered. "I'll only slow you down."

Lara bit her lip but Moonstar was already beside her. She hefted Alister onto the unicorn. "Don't you dare die on me again Alister Fletcher."

With that, Lara Croft raced after Nalta as Moonstar, Alister, and Amanda faced off with the thralls.

* * *

><p>AN: I'm sure by now you all know what change I made. And for those wondering why Amelia couldn't be saved, I've left some clues in both this chapter and the last one. We are swiftly drawing to a close, so please, read and review.


	8. Chapter 8: Into Narnia

To Helheim and Back

Summary: Moonstar has never been an ordinary Narnian unicorn, but when he gets thrown into the events of Underworld, he finds out just what true love and sacrifice is.

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight: Into Narnia<p>

But you do. You have magic. Maybe you can't find it, but it's there. You have all the power you need if you dared to look for it. (_The Last Unicorn_)

* * *

><p>The three on the ground watched as the last bridge detached from the machine. Nalta flew down, intent on saving her creation. Up above, Lara hefted Mjolnir and threw it at her foe. It struck true and Nalta fell into the Eitr with a shriek. The machine trembled, then cracked and fell into the poison as Lara ran back down to her friends.<p>

The poison began to rise and Moonstar realized that Helheim was doomed. They were trapped in the rapidly sinking chamber.

"What do we do now?"Alister asked, his eyes scanning the chamber for any possible escape route.

Amanda snorted. "After killing the Midgard Serpent, Thor dies of its venom anyway."

"Not if you clear the path and get us out of here," Lara retorted, pointing at the caved in corridor.

Amanda stopped, turned, and raised her hands. Shadows flickered by the door but went out again. Amanda laughed bitterly. "Out of juice. Just like Bolivia."

Moonstar and Alister stayed quiet as Lara frantically searched for another way out. Amanda ignored her, still caught up in bitterness. "The good news is we saved the world." Another bitter laugh, "The bad news is: now we're going to die here. Just like your mother."

Lara turned, fist raised, then froze. "Wait." Her eyes widened as she spotted something, then she raced forward and down the path. The other three looked at each other, then followed, Moonstar trying not to bounce Alister too much as he trotted.

There was a dais. Pillars with red symbols rose around it in a rough circle. And a sword rested in the platform. Lara stopped in front of the blade. "Mother must have tried to use it to escape but didn't know how." Lara pushed the blade further in and a massive ring rose into place with a click. "If pulling out these artifacts always brings you here, what will happen if I'm already here?"

Amanda broke in, "Maybe you'll go to hell!"

Alister laughed. "I'd say we're already IN hell, Amanda. No, I think Lara's onto something here."

Lara looked around and saw a rune lying on the ground. She ran to it and grabbed it, slamming it into place. The ring lit with white light, but as soon as Lara moved back, the rune threatened to fall again.

Moonstar surveyed the dais. Something nagged at him about it. _Alister? Can you hear me?_

Alister jumped a little. "Moonstar?" he whispered.

_Yes. Do you trust me?_

Alister's gaze hardened. "You have a plan."

_The sword you have. Slide it in over the other one._ Moonstar sidled over to the dais. Alister nodded grimly.

"Alister?"

Alister ignored Lara as he raised the gold and red blade and carefully slid it into the dais. Another click sounded through the chamber and the runes around them lit with a golden glow. Lara yelped as the light gently shoved her into the circle with the others. The ring rotated faster and faster, its white glow going gold.

"What's happening?" Amanda yelled.

A hum filled the air as the ring sped up, light flashing around it. A lion's roar echoed as the ring stopped, a portal open before them.

"Hurry," Lara called. The four leapt through the portal as the Eitr behind them rose.

* * *

><p>Blackness. Confused, Moonstar willed his horn to shine. After a moment, light came from the stallion's horn and lit the area. Alister was still on the unicorn's back and both Lara and Amanda were picking themselves up.<p>

"Oh this is soo much better," Amanda snapped.

"We're not dead yet," Lara pointed out.

"I don't understand," came a completely new voice. "I thought this was Narnia."

Both women whipped around. But there was no one except for an equally shocked Alister. And Moonstar.

"Moonstar?" Lara asked.

"Yes?" the unicorn replied.

"You talk!" Amanda demanded.

The unicorn looked rather affronted. "Of course I can talk. We are in Narnia." The black head dropped. "At least, I think we are."

"You think?" Alister asked, trying hard to suppress his instinctive response, which was to say that Narnia wasn't real. He had, after all, eaten that type of phrase before.

"Yes. But, even at night, it shouldn't be _this_ dark."

"You are correct Son of Snowfall," a voice boomed.

The four travelers turned. A massive lion stood there. His golden eyes shone with wisdom, power, and love.

"Aslan!" Moonstar whistled. Mindful of his rider, the unicorn dipped his neck in a rough bow.

"You have done well my child," the lion replied. "And you Daughters of Eve, Son of Adam. I am pleased with your efforts."

"Thanks?" Amanda managed.

"Aslan where is Narnia? Where is Mother?" Moonstar asked anxiously.

_Mother?_ The three humans wondered.

"Come. I shall show you. All of you." With that the lion turned and started off. Moonstar started after him but paused when Lara and Amanda didn't move.

"Come on. You can trust him."

"But where are we going?" Lara asked.

Moonstar shrugged. "I don't know. But I trust him."

"A lion?" Amanda asked, clearly skeptical.

Moonstar nodded. "Mother always said he wasn't a tame lion. But he is good."

Lara blew out a breath. "Alright."

* * *

><p>Moonstar, realizing that Alister wasn't quite comfortable with the lion, stayed back with Lara and Amanda as they walked.<p>

Lara glanced up at the big stallion. "So, Moonstar. How'd you get to the Manor."

"It was kind of an accident," Moonstar admitted. "I was running from the Calormenes and I stumbled through a portal."

"Calormenes?" Amanda asked.

"Yes. They hail from the western deserts. I don't know how but they had begun to conquer Narnia. My herd refused to work for them." Moonstar's head drooped. "I was the last free one and they set the hounds on my trail."

The females shuddered. Lara frowned. "Zip reminded you of them?"

Head bob. "They are all dark-furred, like your friend."

"Dark skinned," Amanda corrected with a grin. "Most humans don't have fur."

"Oh." Moonstar frowned. "Then what about the fur on your heads?"

Lara and Amanda both blushed. "It's called hair," Alister put in, amused. "Like your mane."

"Oh! That makes sense."

Lara covered up a laugh with a cough. Amanda smirked but then looked up. "Hey where'd that sword come from anyway."

"I don't know," Moonstar admitted.

"I sent it," Aslan boomed from up ahead. "Tis Rhindon, the sword of the High King Peter."

Moonstar gasped. "The blade of the High King himself?"

Amused golden eyes looked back. "It opened the path into Narnia, little Star."

The stallion flushed at his childhood nickname. Up ahead was a doorway, standing all by itself. Aslan strode to it and it opened before him.

"Child of Snowfall, the Narnia you knew is dead and gone. But grieve not for the shadow of what is." With that the Lion pushed the door further open. Sunrise glowed as they stepped through.

Moonstar whinnied. "Narnia! It lives."

"Yes. And it lives forever, little Star," Aslan rumbled.

The Lion looked down at Lara. "Daughter of Eve, two here have waited a long time for this."

"Lara!" a woman's voice carried to them and Lara's head came up.

"Mother?" Tears slid down Lara's checks as a man came up behind the woman. "Father!"

Moonstar whinnied as the three Crofts reunited.

A whistle brought the stallion 'round. "Mother!" Alister slid down and Moonstar looked at him.

"Go on," Alister said with a smile.

The midnight stallion snorted and kicked up his heels as he flew to his herd.

For a moment Amanda and Alister watched the reunions.

"Daughter of Eve," Aslan rumbled.

Amanda looked up. "Yes?"

"James is not here, Daughter of Eve. He did not accept me," Sorrow shone in the Lion's gaze. "The rest of your family is waiting for you to come home." Amanda nodded, looking down. "When you are ready I will send you to them," the Lion continued. "And when you are ready to return to me, I shall be waiting little one."

Amanda and Alister looked at the Lion, confused. "I don't understand," Amanda admitted.

"This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

"Then you are there?" Alister asked.

"Yes, Son of Adam. If you seek me, you shall find me. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Amanda looked down for several seconds. "I don't want to go back to my family. They would never understand what I've been through."

The Lion said nothing. Amanda looked back up, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Send me back with Lara."

"Very well child."

* * *

><p>AN: One more chapter and then we're done. A bit of Amanda redemption here. I rather thought her biggest problem was that she let bitterness eat her up. Not to mention her pet demon.


End file.
